Judith: I'm Chahta/Chorokee/French. Thank you sooo much for the information. I found it so very interesting. I don't guess the Museum you have work in would be on line? I would really enjoy seeing some of your work. Sounds like you have the perfect job, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing this with us. Dodie Judith Durr wrote: > Hi, > I'm mixed blood also and proud of my Choctaw / Cherokee heritage. When > people meet me, they question my heritage because of my looks. I'm light > brown haired, green eyed and with light skin(I let them know my father, > English/German is responsible my looks. My mother is dark skinned, black > haired and blue eyed. My grandparents, had the "Choctaw, Native American, > First People" look. The Navajo people use the the term Dine', "The People". > My Grandparents lived in Pond Creek, OK and moved to Arizona in the 1934. > We were taught to respect all cultures and do the best we could possibly do > to maintain ours. All of these terms are used to recognize and describe who > we are to others for their understanding. I know who I am and am very proud > of this. I prefer, Choctaw. However any of the other respectful terms of > description will do. There will always be controversy even among ourselves. > Respect for ourselves is most important. > > I'm an artist who work recreates paintings based in reseached information of > North and South American artifacts. I'm not an expert, however I have to > research all the artifacts used in my paintings. I have done extensive > research with Archeologist from Mexico and Arizona on their projects. I have > work in the Museum of History and Anthropology in Mexico City, Mexico. > Through my own research and some of the experts in the Anthropological field > say there are similarities to the the Aztec culture with the artwork, the > burial sites, the ballgames, stories, ect. The ballgame and stories were > some of the areas that my research was focused on for work in the museum in > Mexico. > > The "Mound People" are said to be desended from a similar culture. This is > one area that I am interested in because of my heritage. The 5 tribes and > possibly others came from them. The Aztec culture has been known to reach > up into Arizona and New Mexico with the trade. Their trade routes were > extensive and some people forget that trade routes were in Canada, Mexico > and South America before Columbus ever set foot in the Americas. In ruins > in Arizona, Gulf Coast shells and shell jewlery have been found in the > desert. We don't have an ocean in this area...Mexico is the closest. This > is one example of trade. > > The Hopi and similar cultures have stories about migration to the 4 > directions. Their beginings seem to have connections to South America and > Mexico. In the migration, they are to have traveled to the end of the land > in all 4 directions. Canada is known as the back door in Hopi stories. > There are stories that say they went to get water from each direction and > then went to Oriabi, the center of the earth for them. This is paraphased. > > Remember, that in stories, myth and legend, there is a kernal of truth... > > Hope this helps. > > Judith > -----Original Message----- > From: Dodie <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 8:02 AM > Subject: Re: [CHAHTA] Is there an "exact" answer > > >I live in TX and get the same thing. I am mixed blood and people here > assume I am > >Mexican. I have been asked if I speak English many times and I do not have > a real > >dark complexion. It is because we have a large Mexican population here and > of > >course we are related to the Mexican people, so share many of the same > features. > >I read some where that the Chahta are/may be from the Aztec. Does anyone > else > >know of this? I think I read this somewhere on the net. I'm terrible about > >finding something then forgetting to bookmark it. I too am very proud of my > >Chahta blood and always say I am Chahta. > >Dodie > > > >[email protected] wrote: > > > >> Reading all these discussions about what we should call ourselves, I was > >> reminded of what had happened to me recently. I was asked what > nationality > >> I am, to which I replied. "Choctaw". Their response was: "What's > that?" > >> I had to explain that I am a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma > while > >> living in SE Texas where most seem to assume that I am Hispanic by my > >> coloring. I do prefer to be called Choctaw over any other nationality. > >> Trish > >> > >> ==== CHAHTA Mailing List ==== > >> Choctaw Home Page: > >> http://freepages.cultures.rootsweb.com/~choctaw/index.htm > > > > > >==== CHAHTA Mailing List ==== > >To Unsubscribe: > >Send msg. to [email protected] > >Put "one" word in "body" of message:... 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